Top Tips for buying a motorbike
Please use the links below to jump to different sections:
- Decide what type of bike would suit you best, using the guide below. Be realistic about what you’re going to use it for.
- Dealer or private sale? With the first, you may pay bit more, but you get more security and back-up. With the second, you save money buying, but need to know what you’re doing, or bring someone who does.
- Check the insurance and servicing costs.
- Google the bike you’re thinking of to see what bike magazines and other users say about it, and also to get a view on its price.
- If it’s a private sale, ask the seller why they’re selling it.
Our Guide to different Motorbike types
Naked or street bikes
As the name suggests, these are bikes stripped down to the basics, with small fairings or none at all, the engine visible, and usually no screen or luggage panniers.
Plus points: Lightweight, economical, with better performance than a cruiser and more comfortable riding position than a sports bike. Naked bikes with larger engines, known as muscle bikes, have the performance of sports bikes but retain the comfort of traditional naked bikes. There is a huge variety available from most bike manufacturers.
Minus points: Little wind and weather protection and no luggage, but those can be changed with optional screens, panniers or topbox.
Typical user: Commuter who fancies occasional weekend fun.
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Cruisers
Lower, stretched version of naked bike, with matching riding position. Usually associated with Harleys, but also produced by Japanese manufacturers, plus Victory, Triumph, Ducati etc.
Plus points: Stable and unthreatening, especially for shorter riders. Usually have V-twin engines which sound great and have a relaxed power delivery. Often customised with loads of extras.
Minus points: Ponderous handling, especially in models with long, shallow forks and feet-forward riding position. Larger cruisers can be top-heavy and need care cornering at low speeds. Generally poorer acceleration and braking than sports bikes, with the exception of the Ducati Diavel.
Typical user: Cool dude who prefers looks to outright performance.
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Tourers
Built for long-distance comfort, with screens, fairings, big fuel tanks and matching luggage capacity. Bigger models come with everything from satnav and sound systems to heated seats and grips, and believe it or not, air bags.
Typical examples include the rugged BMW R1200GS Adventure of Ewan and Charley fame, the evergreen Harley Road King, the plush Honda Goldwing and the sports tourers BMW K1600GT or Triumph ST. Sports tourers, as the name suggests, are tourers with better performance and handling.
Plus points: Comfortable and effortless for long hours in the saddle.
Minus points: Expensive, not great for pottering through town in heavy traffic.
Typical user: Adventurer on way to Timbuktu, or dreamer on way to the local supermarket.
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Sports or performance bikes
Road going versions of track weapons, with knees up and head down riding position. Sales declining due to lack of comfort and rise in bikes just as fast but more user-friendly such as Ducati Multistrada 1200.
Plus points: Phenomenal acceleration, braking and handling.
Minus points: Uncomfortable after long periods, performance unusable by most riders on the roads, lethal in the wrong hands.
Typical user: Speed merchant who spends weekends on track days.
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Trail bikes or trailers
Range from pure off-road bikes to road bikes which can be used on and off-road such as the BMW F800GS or Triumph Tiger 800XC. Typically light, with high ground clearance and long-travel suspension to soak up bumps.
Plus points: Can handle a wide range of terrain if you need them to.
Minus points: Not as comfortable as true tourers for long distances on roads.
Typical user: Real or would-be adventurer.
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Scooters
Simplest way of getting on two wheels, with step-through riding position, twist and go throttle and automatic gearbox. With bigger wheels than before and engines up to 800cc, can handle and perform as well as many smaller motorbikes.
Plus points: Simplicity, ease of use, stylish looks from classics such as Vespa.
Minus points: Not usually recommended for touring with the kitchen sink.
Typical user: Stylish commuter with no interest in bikes.
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How to examine a bike
If you don’t know much about bikes, bring a mate who does.
Check for signs of an accident, like damage to the ends of handlebars or levers, footpegs or exhaust. The seller doesn’t have to offer the information, but is obliged to tell you if you ask. If it has been crashed and professionally repaired and the seller is honest about it, it’s not the end of the world.
Check if the bars and forks are straight and true. Grip the front wheel between your legs and turn the bars to check for play in the forks.
Check for signs of aggressive use, like ground down footpeg ends. Ask if the bike has been raced.
Check that all levers, lights, gauges and switches work.
Check inside the fuel tank for excessive rust.
Check tyres for tread of at least 1mm, and the brake discs for wear.
Check the chain for wear and tension. It should give about an inch at the halfway point. If the bike is shaft drive, check for leaks there, and on the engine and transmission.
If possible, lift the front then back of the bike and try to move the wheels from side to side to check if the bearings are worn.
Check oil, coolant and brake fluid levels. Ask the seller what the correct tyre pressures are. If he doesn’t know, the bike may not have been cared for.
Ask if an aftermarket more noisy exhaust has been fitted. If so then check whether the original exhaust is available and include it in the sale.
If starting from cold, check for blue smoke from the exhaust, which could mean worn piston rings. If a choke is fitted, check that the bike runs smoothly without it when warmed up.
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The paperwork
Ask to see the V5 registration document. Check that the colour, registration number, frame and engine numbers on it match those on the bike.
Ask to see a service history with receipts. If it’s neat, tidy and in order, chances are the bike will be as well.
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Buying a used bike
When buying a used bike, check the price on www.usedbikeguide.com or www.parkers.co.uk.
Check with your insurance company that you can test ride the bike with the owner’s permission. Bring your insurance certificate or an e-mail from the company as proof to the seller.
If you’re planning a test ride, ask the seller what you need to leave with him as security. If it’s an insurance document or a cash deposit, bring a mate to stay with the seller while you’re testing the bike.
If you buy, get a receipt with the date, address and contact details, signed by you and the seller.
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Buying from a dealer
Google the dealer or check their website for feedback from other customers.
If the bike you’re planning to buy is new, check if the dealer has a demo bike insured for you to test ride. If it’s a used motorcycle, check if you need to have your own insurance as with a private seller. If buying new, you could get a bargain as dealers offload last season’s models or demo bikes, especially between September and January.
Whether buying privately or from a dealer, if you’re not happy with the seller, the bike or the price, don’t be bullied into buying. If your instinct tells you to walk away, do.
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Buying a scooter
The arguments for buying a scooter are simple: you can fill up for under £20*, get 400 miles to a tank, and spend a third less time commuting than in a car. Over a week, that’s over an hour and a half saved on the average UK commute of 28 minutes each way.
Road tax starts at just £16 a year* for smaller motorcycles, parking is generally free and motorbikes and scooters don’t pay the London congestion charge. “To find out how exactly how much you could save, you can work it out using the Travel Savings Calculator at www.geton.co.uk.
The other benefit is that although you will need Compulsory Basic Training before being allowed to ride on the roads, you can use a car licence as a full licence for riding 50cc scooters, and as a provisional licence for up to 125cc machines.
The cheapest scooters available are Chinese ones from internet sites such as eBay, but tread carefully with these – see Buying on eBay below.
Better to stick to one of the established manufacturers such as the Piaggio group, which makes the stylish and reliable Vespa, Aprilia, Gilera and Derbi brands, with lots of dealers and good backup. Others worth buying include Peugeot, Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda, Kymco and Sym of Taiwan, and Sachs.
A 50cc scooter will be cheap to buy and run, but will usually have a top speed of only 30mph, so is only recommended for short commutes.
A 125cc machine such as the Vespa GTS 125 will have a top speed of almost 70mph, but can still be very economical: the Honda Innova 125cc scooter, for example, does 178mpg.
Above 125cc, long-distance motorway commutes become realistic, and at the top end, so-called maxi scooters like the 600cc Honda Silverwing, the 650cc Suzuki Burgman or the 800cc Gilera GP800 can reach up to 120mph and are big and powerful enough to consider touring on.
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Buying Scooters from eBay
Tread carefully. You can find new Chinese-made scooters from £499* on eBay or internet sites, but quality, depreciation, dealer back-up, warranties and reliability are all suspect.
If buying used scooters or motorbikes on eBay, check a seller’s feedback, and never buy from anyone with no feedback or anything less than a 90% rating. Also never buy unless the seller has posted enough photos. And ask why they’re selling.
If you’re still interested, get a mechanic to inspect it. The AA and RAC do pre-purchase inspections for cars but not bikes, so best bet is probably to get the seller to produce a report from a dealer, or for you to pay the nearest dealership to them to inspect the bike.
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Buying Bikes at a police motorcycle auction
Plus points: The chance to pick up machines like a Honda Pan European or BMW R1200RT with impeccable service history at a bargain price.
Minus points: At any auction, you’re accepting the bike as is, and you can’t take it for a test ride, so at the very least check the condition, look for leaks or crash damage and listen to the engine.
Pick a budget and stick to it, and bring a friend to stop you losing your head.
Useful websites: www.forcemotorcycles.com, www.police-information.co.uk, www.wholesalescout.co.uk, www.government-auctions.co.uk
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* Prices correct at time of publication – July 2011
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